which Telescope do I buy for a beginner?

Question

My partner keeps on about wanting a telescope for his birthday but I am clueless to know which 1 too get him i have tried searching on the internet but it completely baffles me.. he is a complete beginner. So any help would be really useful..I dont mind spending up to about £300.

I think when I researched it also said something about filters?!?!..

I need some serious help with this 1!.. lol.

Thank you :)

Answer 1

Well, ..., when considering a 'first' telescope, I first suggest that you read the following article will give you some information on how different types of telescopes work, as well as, additional buying tips: http://www.raleighastro.org/observing/general-articles/102-purchasing-a-telescope



Now the best pricing for a decent first scope that I can suggest is a Dobsonian scope with a 6" or 8" mirror (e.g. Skywatcher Skyliner 150P Dobsonian - ~£215 or Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian - ~£289). The lowest cost "beginner's" GoTo computerized scope that has astrophotography capability (meaning you still have to buy some accessories to make it fully astrophotography ready) is the Celestron NexStar 6SE at £798.00



The dobsonians I've suggested are great visual beginner scopes and are super for just taking out to the backyard for casual observing but will definitely hold their own at any amateur astronomy gathering. they're also easy for young people to use and operate. You can do short exposure astrophotography with them but not long exposure astrophotography (for that, as you saw above, you'll need a lot more money - See "Astrophotograpphy for Web Cams - Robert Reeves").



The Dobsonian scopes I mentioned and the Celstron NexStar 6SE will be much more durable and of higher quality tan any depsrtment store scope you'll find. Moreover, you'll be able to see all of the Messier objects (DSO's) plus many of the brighter NCG objects (DSO's), many many stars plus: Mercury, Venus, Earth's Moon, Mars, Jupiter and it's moons, Saturn, its rings and moons, Uranus, Neptune and the dwarf planet Pluto, as well as, many of the minor planets, comets, and asteroids. Plus, it's easy to transport, setup, and use (the dobsonians can be setup in under 60 seconds from car to ground ... no kidding).



Bottom Line: any scope with less than a 6" mirror with a 1200mm focal length, IMHO, would be a waste of money. See the links below for low priced dobsonian scopes with 6" and 8" mirrors. However, the larger the aperture (size of primary objective ... like an 6", 8", 10", 12" mirror or larger) the better. Also, there are many brands of dobsonian scopes made by many different companies that you can choose from. I only offered these as examples because they are popular with our club members.



For more advice I would suggest that you contact your local astronomy club. You don't have to own a telescope to join! Joining your local astronomy club is the best way to nurture your passion for astronomy. Plus, you'll find that they'll be able to provide you lots of great advice and support for acquiring and operating a telescope.



UK Links

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http://www.green-witch.com/acatalog/Dobsonian_Range.html

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/proddetail.php?prod=dobsky150

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-200p-dobsonian.html

http://www.scsastro.co.uk/catalogue/orion-skyquest-xt6-classic.htm

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/se-series/celestron-nexstar-6se.html

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-250px-dobsonian.html

Answer 2

Don't.



First of all cheap telescopes are basically toys and not fit for astronomical purpose.



Instead get him a subscription to a rent-a-scope site like Slooh.com. That way he can book a time slot (usually about 5 mins) and take control of a professional sized scope and do astronomy from the comfort of his living room on his lap top or desk top.



Whenever someone asks me what beginner scope should they choose I always tell them none. Telescopes are NOT for beginners.



To begin with buy some introduction books to astronomy, anything that shows the constellations and how they change with the seasons would be great. Then after he is familiar with the layout of the night sky, get him to join his local astronomy club, they will take him out to star parties where he can look through their equipment and decide for himself what he likes but telescopes are a huge investment and shouldn't be undertaken without knowing what you're letting yourself in for.



Now that being said I know my advice is going to be rejected and you're going to spend £300 on a rubbish scope that will be used once and end up rusting in the garage so here's a bit of general advice.



If you live in a built up light polluted area (which is true of almost everyone), you really don't have a choice in what you look at - you can only see bright objects. I therefore recommend a refractor telescope. Refractors have quite a lot of optics to give very sharp resolution which is their advantage over reflectors but they lack light gathering abilities. If you live out in the countryside where you have really dark skies which is very rare these days, you are free to chose between refractors and reflectors. Refractors are better if you want to have clear sharp images of bright nearby objects like the Moon or planets in our solar system. Reflectors are better for gathering light and though the image quality is not as good as with a refractor they have far superior light gathering abilities making them the ideal choice for looking at deep sky objects like nebulae and distant galaxies.



Edit:



J M has given some really good advice there, if you want a tangible gift you can give him, get him a decent set of binoculars. I very strongly recommend you don't get anything more powerful than 10x50 though. Anything bigger will magnify your hand vibrations to the point where it's not possible to get a good view of anything astronomical.

Answer 3

I will assume that the purpose of this telescope is to look at the sky, planets, deep sky objects, etc.



A telescope to an uninitiated person can be daunting experience. When he points it at the sky he will feel completely lost. He will see a lot more stars than ever seen before with his naked eyes. The view is so much magnified. One has to know how to navigate the stars before using a telescope. Also to consider is the physical location or where you live - urban, rural, etc. Urban locations are light polluted and not much can be seen. Rural locations away from city lights is preferred and you will do a lot more sky watching.



So to begin with I would suggest that he spends a few hours looking at the sky using a sky map to identify the stars, planets, constellations. It is like getting to know your roads before you learn to drive.



Next item would be to look for a local astronomy club or an experienced astronomer. Joining a club helps because you will meet people who can help you. They will have frequent star parties or sky watch sessions where your partner can attend and get help when needed. It will help him decide which telescope that best suits him.



A telescope has one big rule - the bigger the better for viewing the sky. However big means heavy and difficult to move. Big means expensive, very expensive. Many people who went in for large size have found it difficult to move it and resulted in leaving it at home mostly. So great consideration is required to decide.



Here is a general recommendation. Telescopes come in two types - reflector and refractor. There are more sub-types in each group. Most popular or bang for the buck is in reflectors. A minimum diameter of 8 inch (200mm) is suggested for viewing sky objects. Dobsonian will be the lowest in cost. They are quite affordable starting at $350 approx. Good refractors are expensive and useful for advance uses such as deep space imaging when used on expensive mounts,



Ultimately it is a personal choice. Entirely depends on the level of interest, physical fitness condition, affordability, physical location (urban - rural, etc.). I know many people who bought a telescope without knowing much about the sky and gave up the hobby. One word of caution - avoid cheap telescopes of size 2 to 3 inch in diameter. They are just junk.

Answer 4

Here is a good article written by someone who is not trying to sell you anything: http://scopereviews.com/begin.html He presents a lot of good ideas but does narrow it down to a single choice in the end.



£300 would probably buy you the Orion XT8 he recommends. That scope is $350 here in the US.

Answer 5

I don't know anything about telescopes but I got this for my boyfriend (also a complete beginner) and he loves it...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000MLHMAS/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1



There are so many out there and I had absolutely no idea what to look for, so I just went by the best reviewed (within budget) from Amazon. Hope this helps!

Answer 6

Please bring your partner to a local astronomy club first. Let them look through a few scopes at star parties. Find one here:



http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/organizations



If you can't do that, i might go with an xt6i. It's portable, sets up easily, and has a computer to help you find things in the sky. It *might* be in your budget, if Orion can ship it to you.



http://www.telescope.com/Telescopes/Dobsonian-Telescopes/IntelliScope-Dobsonians/Orion-SkyQuest-XT6i-IntelliScope-Dobsonian-Telescope/pc/1/c/12/sc/27/p/102806.uts

Answer 7

A beginner would be better off sticking to 8/50 binoculars.